CRTC wants you to hold your own ‘Flash!’ town hall meetings about TV

Would you be interested in something that resembles a Tupperware party, except with the focus on the future of the television industry, rather than the latest advancements in plastic kitchen containers?

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission apparently hopes so, as it is now encouraging such get-togethers as part of its “Let’s Talk TV” campaign, a national consultation effort to help determine how the medium should (or should not) be regulated in days of Netflix and YouTube.

And because everything these days needs to be branded somehow, the CRTC has given these hypothetical community events a name: “Flash!”

“You can decide what is the best way for capturing notes from your conversation,” advises the list of “Flash!” guidelines, “a wiki or other web page or video recording or the ‘old fashioned’ pen and paper option.

“Whatever you choose, remember these notes will be crucial when developing your post-‘Flash!’ conference report.”

Reports will be accepted by the CRTC through Jan. 10, 2014 — whether anyone goes along with the outreach idea remains to be seen, although at least the commission will be able to say they tried.

The recommendations also encourage Canadians to neither lurk quietly nor dominate the discussion at the expense of others who bothered to turn out.

“The key is to remember that you are a participant and not a member of the audience, so be sure to contribute your voice. Ask questions, raise ideas, be brave.

“If, however, you find that you are contributing a lot and the people around you are staying quiet, step back and give them space to speak. Listening is just as big a part of conversation as speaking.”

The instructions close with a quote from Albert Einstein: “All meaningful and lasting change starts first in your imagination and then works its way out.”

For those who cannot imagine holding a “Flash!” conference, an open discussion forum has also been opened by the commission, which will be open for comments through Nov. 22. The first few comments were predictable rants about the cost of cable and a desire for a pick-and-pay channel selection rather than bundles — an option which which the federal government recently pledged to attempt to bring in.